The present invention pertains to a substrate conveyor apparatus that carries a substrate on which patterns are formed to a substrate exposure apparatus equipped with a substrate conveyance method and a substrate conveyor apparatus.
With a reticle (also known as a mask) used in next-generation lithography such as EPL and EUVL, a common problem is the weakness that a pellicle that prevent the adhering of defect-causing particles onto the reticle pattern face cannot be used.
As a means to resolve this problem, there is a proposal to attach a protective cover when a reticle is not used and only remove it during exposure. For example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,863.